College Algebra CLEP Prep Practice Exam

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What is the value of -3^2?

–9
9
-27
27

The correct answer is: -27

While it may seem like the answer should be 9 since the exponent is even, the negative sign in front of the 3 indicates that it should be treated as a negative number. This means that -3^2 is equivalent to (-3)^2, which is equal to 9. However, when the negative sign is placed after the exponent, it is applied to the entire exponent, making it (-3)^2, which is equal to -9. Therefore, the value of -3^2 is actually -9. The other answer choices do not take into account the negative sign in front of the 3. For example, 9 would be the answer if the question was 3^2, but since the base is -3, the answer is -9 rather than 9.